Fragrance Lake

Fragrance lake is located approximately 5 miles South of Fairhaven outside of Bellingham. There are three trailheads to Fragrance Lk. The easiest one to find is the trailhead across Larrabee State park on Chuckanut Dr. The other two trails are north of that. To find them, travel south on Chuckanut Dr. from Fairhaven. Several feet before Mile Post 16 look for Hiline Rd. Follow Hiline Rd. up the hill. It will turn into a gravel road also called Cleater Rd. The first trail on Cleater Rd. to Fragrance is at the first of two gates.

The second trail to Fragrance lake is at the second gate farther up Cleater Rd. It's approximately 2 1/2 miles from Chuckanut Dr. This trail descends down the hill to an old access road. It is approximately a 15 mins. decent. At the road you will find the sign to Fragrance Lake which is another .2 of a mile. Each trail offers a different amount of effort with the lower trails being longer. The last trail previously described is easy enough for small children. At the lake you will find several locations to access it. At one access are two wooden benches. A trail loops around the lake and offers different views.

The lake holds a nice population of trout. I've fished the lake from a float tube and have found it to always produce even in the hot summer months. I use a light fly rod. A 5 weight rod would be the larges I'd recommend here. The nice thing about this lake for float tubers is it offers a sandy shelf to launch from. Also the lake is surrounded by hillsides and tall trees which offer a shelter from strong winds.

Bowman Bay

Looking at Bowman Bay in the distance.

Photos copywrited

Bowman bay is off of Hwy 20 just before Deception pass. Take the Hwy 20 exit to Anacortes from I-5 and follow the directions to Oak Harbor or Deception Pass Bridge. You will see two lakes on the way. The first lake is Campbell Lake and the second is Deception Pass Lake or Pass Lake. At Pass like take a right and then the first left to Bowman bay.






Pass lake offers some great trout fishing. It is a fly fishing only lake with several restriction. The restrictions include no motors, minimum size, and a catch limit. Most fly fishing is done from float/pantoon boats or small row boats. There is a nice gravel parking lot with easy access to the lake.

Bowman bay is a large park with playgrounds, picnic area, restrooms, dock, beach and trails. The trails leading from Bowman bay towards Deception pass are well marked. However, there are side trails that can lead to nowhere and this is not an area where children should be allowed to wonder. The currents in the area are strong and the trails will often follow along high drop offs into the water below.

The trails spit off into two areas. The first will cross a sandy beach to a small island. The beach is often vacant and is great for kids to play or just hang out and sunbathe. After crossing the beach the trail takes you up and around 3/4 of the island. The views of the sound are spectacular and wild bird life abundant. Bald eagles and other sea birds are common. So are seals along the shore line. The above photo is part of this trail looking back at Bowman bay.
If you choose not to take the first fork to the beach you will continue towards Deception Pass. The end of the trail will be a grassy hillside which drops into the Pass. You will be greeted with a beautiful view of Deception pass bridge. This area is ideal for a quiet intimate picnic. Don't forget to bring along you camera for the views and memories.

Squires Lake

Squires Lake was purchased and is maintained by two Counties. Whatcom and Skagit county share the costs and maintenance of the property. Squires lake is a small lake with a relatively short trail. It is located by exiting the So. Lake Samish/Nulle Rd. exit on I-5. After exiting head east and you will be at the trail head with in a 1/4-1/2 mile.

There is a small parking area with a honey bucket for comfort at the roadway. The hike will take you up a couple of steep switch backs directly to Squires lake. At the lake the trail is well maintained and has several benches to sit back and just enjoy the beauty. From the lake you can take the Squires Lake loop or continue to the beaver pond loop and viewing trail. This hike is short and kid friendly. I took my 8 year old and 6 year old neighbor. We finished the hike in 1-1 1/2 hours.


The sign at the trailhead states, no hunting, firearms, alcoholic beverages allowed. Motors on the lake are prohibited and fishing is catch and release only. I did not bring my fishing rod along but am told that the lake has trout.

Introduction

Hello and welcome to my blog. This is my first entry in an attempt to list hikes, lakes, rivers, and outdoor activities I've gone too. I will briefly give directions, and descriptions of the locations. I'll make an attempt to discuss what I know about the fishing/hunting at the location or nearby. With a little luck I'll also have photo's to accompany the logs. Please feel free to browse and add positive or constructive comments.